A Snowy Hike & Coffee Detox

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I didn't mention this last night but I am away for the weekend. I'm hidden away in the snowy mountains, enjoying a bit of hiking and the peace and quiet of nature. I'm posting from a super cozy spot, worthy of a picture even.

Drinking tea by the fire while I write. Heaven.

The best part of today was a snowy hike. I hiked a bit over 5 miles, climbing some in the first couple miles and then leveling off. The weather was just gorgeous, mid 40's when I started out, no wind, sunny skies. There was snow on the ground, just enough to make the scene gorgeous but not so much that it was impossible to hike in regular hiking boots. I was overcome more than once by the beauty of my surrounds, by how fortunate I am to have moments like this, and by how much it means to me that my body can take me places like this. Of course I have plenty of pictures to share.

Fortunately others had blazed the trail.

With my new walking stick.

I wore a pair or cold weather running tights under my pants, a base layer fleece with a slightly thicker ski sweatshirt over that and then my jacket. I had a headband ready to cover my ears and a hat but I never needed either. On the return trek I put on my gloves as my fingers started to chill. Oh, and I had on knee socks and a pair of hiking socks over those, my toes stayed toasty warm. I was perfectly dressed, not hot, not cold, just perfect.

I needed those two pair of socks - and the hiking stick.

I stopped about 2 miles in for a snack, 2 slices of Canadian bacon on a buttered whole wheat English muffin, and an apple. It was perfect.

A selfie during snack break.

Water cooler.

Here's an elevation profile, showing how I climbed for the first couple miles.

I was worried about how I'd do with the elevation and there being less oxygen in the air. For the first 10 minutes or so I felt a bit more winded than usual but after that, I felt great. Around 2:30pm I got a huge burst of energy. I think it's the caffeine detox.

I was down to 2oz of coffee this morning, which is basically like 4 sips, and I'm feeling damn good. I had a slight headache mid-morning but ibuprofen took care of it. I'm almost off the caffeine and, while I'm super surprised to say this (because I LOVED my morning coffee), I'm not sure I'm going to go back on it. I don't think I need it and I believe it helps my energy level throughout the day to not have it. It makes sense if you buzz up on a stimulant in the morning, you have to crash at some point, right? No caffeine = no crash, I'll take it. I'll have 1oz tomorrow and then be free and clear by the time my 28-day challenge starts on Monday.

I'll close with one last shot from my hike today. As you can see, the snow was patchy in places. There's been very little snow and that may mean water rationing down the road but right now, it made for a perfect hike. And the fact that I would be missing out on these types of things if I didn't stay in shape, that's not lost on me either. I reinforce my choices with payoffs like today.

The types of places my fit body can take me.

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I am a licensed clinical social worker with a private practice offering Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for weight loss and maintenance. I have an office in Marin County, CA and I'm also available to see people via Skype. To learn more please visit my professional website at www.michellefunez.com